Poor hygiene can be risky for your guinea pig’s health as well. Thus, keeping your guinea pig bottom clean is a very critical part of your guinea pig care. But what are the necessary steps you need to take for the same? How can you clean a guinea pig’s bottom? Let’s find out!
If there is any dry poop attached to the bottom skin and fur of your guinea pig, perform a dry wash. It can be done by applying cornstarch into their fur and brushing out any lingering poop. However, a messy guinea pig bottom needs to be cleaned carefully in a sink with warm water and shampoo.
Guinea pigs are very conscientious groomers. However, they want human involvement to clean their bottom as fecal matter can get stuck to a guinea pig’s bum. This is something that sometimes guinea pigs cannot clean on their own.
A guinea pig with a dirty bum can be a reason for flystrike, which is a very dreadful problem.
Also, a guinea pig with a dirty bum is a sign of a poor diet and an ill-suited lifestyle. All these reasons for a dirty bum should get very much attention so that it doesn’t get worse later.
In case there is dried poop stuck on your guinea pigs bum then perform a dry wash such as brushing out.
Some particular parts of guinea pig back should be clean by warm water and shampoo, and by shampoo, it doesn’t mean human shampoo as it can dry your guinea pig skin.
Please note that in this article, we are not discussing boar cleaning. It is about cleaning a guinea pig’s bottom. Some long-haired guinea pig breeds struggle to keep their bottom clean as fecal matter gets attached to the same.
Are guinea pigs clean animals?
Guinea pigs come under the list of cleanest pets. They groom themselves regularly. Thus, their fur should always be clean and glossy. However, the only exception could be their bottom.
There is a possibility that your guinea pig may have a dirty bum after eliminating feces.
This should be a significant concern as the messy bottom end can lead to health issues for your guinea pig.
However, not all guinea pigs will have such problems. Guinea pig with a mobility issue, digestive issues, or longhaired guinea pig breed struggle more.
Why does my guinea pig’s bum smell?
When fecal matter gets stuck in the bottom of your guinea pig and is not removed for some time, then your guinea pig bum will start smelling.
Poor diet and ill-suited lifestyle can lead to this kind of problem in guinea pigs.
You should regularly clean your guinea pig’s bum using a dried or wet method, whichever is needed at a time of cleaning.
How to keep my guinea pig’s bum clean?
The reason for your guinea pig having a dirty bottom may be a poor diet and ill-suited lifestyle.
There are two options for cleaning your guinea pigs bum.
- Dry cleaning technique
- Wet cleaning process
How to hold a guinea pig to clean its bum?
Holding a guinea pig while cleaning its bum is essential as guinea pigs resist having a bum bath.
Following this step will help you to hold your guinea pig while cleaning their bum.
- When you pick your guinea pig, make sure that your hands are clean, or you can also use medical gloves for cleaning your guinea pig bum and pet them until they feel calm.
- Get your guinea pig back against your chest.
- Hold your guinea pig in a way that your pet can’t jump away. But don’t hold too hard as they can harm themselves, though.
- Place one hand under your guinea pig’s front legs.
- Support your guinea pig bottom with the other.
Make sure that you don’t take much time cleaning your pet’s bum as they don’t enjoy this. Once you correctly hold your guinea pig, you can start cleaning their bum.
How to dry clean poop from a guinea pig’s Bottom?
The dry wash technique is used when your guinea pig’s bottom is a little dirty. A waterless wash will not be helpful if there are wet or moistened feces.
- Apply unscented flour across their bottom, make sure you are not using the powder that contains talc.
- Rub that powder all over the bottom of your guinea pigs and let it get into the fur so that it dries the feces.
- Take a comb and brush out the poop gently. Please don’t be harsh, as it can hurt your guinea pig.
- Clean your guinea pig’s bottom with a soft towel.
How to give guinea pig a bum bath?
Guinea pigs are not very fond of having a bath. It is necessary to clean your guinea pig’s bottom with water if it is coated by wet and moistened fecal, As the dry wash technique cannot clean it.
- Fill a sink with an inch of warm water. Make sure you are not using hot water as it may hurt your guinea pigs’ skin.
- Mix a required amount of shampoo in water. Use shampoo, which is only referred for guinea pig rather than human ones or other pets shampoo.
- Lower your guinea pig into the water. Gently massage the fur so that it gets clean.
- When the water gets dirty, and still, your guinea pig bottom needs to get clean, then repeat the above process.
- After cleaning, dry your guinea pig using a soft towel. You can also use a dryer on low heat if necessary.
Why would a guinea pig have a dirty bottom?
A bad diet can lead to a dirty bottom. Guinea pigs are scrupulous groomers as they clean themselves regularly.
Still, they need human involvement sometimes to clean their rear like they are not able to clean their cecotropes when they have arthritis.
Some more reasons include:
- Poor diet.
- Overweight.
- Limited movement.
You should clean your guinea pig bottom if they are not able to do so because a dirty base can lead to a dreadful fatal condition such as flystrike.
Guinea pig produces two types of poop. One is a common pellet which you will find in your guinea pig’s cage, and the second is cecal pellets, also known as cecotropes.
Guinea pigs eat cecotropes from their bottom as it contains a sufficient amount of nutrition. Cecotropes are also referred to as night feces as guinea pigs prefer to eat them in the privacy of darkness.
Sometimes this poop can get stuck in their coat and lead to a wet bottom. Guinea pigs suffering from diarrhea can also have fecal traces in their bottom.
How can I improve my guinea pig’s diet?
Feeding your guinea pig with a healthy low-fat diet with sufficient nutrition is very important. A little carelessness towards your pet’s diet can harm their digestive tract.
Some essential components should be added to your pet’s diet.
- Feed your guinea pig high-quality grass hay.
- Fresh vegetables should be fed but moderately(1 cup daily) as overfeeding it can upset your guinea pig digestive system.
- Feed your guinea pig high-quality pellets each day as it is a good source of nutrition.
Vegetable and sugary fruit should be fed as a treat to your guinea pig as it can lead to increased weight, which can cause diarrhea, diabetes, and other health issues in your guinea pig.
High-quality grass hay is suitable for your guinea pig digestive system as it contains a sufficient amount of calories.
Following this diet will improve your guinea pig’s health. This diet will make your guinea pig digestive system healthy.
How do I know if my guinea pig is unable to move properly?
Guinea pigs are fond of hiding their pain and injuries as they are prey animals. Showing their pain can be an easy target for their predators.
The instability in a joint, which is known as arthritis, is typical in guinea pigs. This is an unavoidable result of aging.
While going through this problem, guinea pigs cannot clean their bottom on their own as they lose their flexibility to do that.
Some other common behavior or problem includes:
- Your guinea pig will sprint around their cage to remove cecotropes from their body so that they can eat them from the ground.
- Physical injuries like an injury in their hind leg can also make it difficult for your guinea pig to move freely.
Facing such an issue will make it difficult for your guinea pig to clean their bottom.
You have to help them here by removing cecotropes from their bodies in a very gentle way so that they can eat them as it contains a sufficient amount of nutrition, which is necessary for your guinea pig at that time.
Make sure to clean your guinea pig bottom regularly until they gain their flexibility back.
Medicine will also help your guinea pig to overcome the pain and to increase their mobility. Get your pet to the vet so your vet can recommend some supplements for your guinea pig.
How can I help my guinea pig lose weight?
An obese guinea pig will not be able to clean their bottom, thus it is important to keep your guinea pig fit and healthy.
Things which can get your guinea pig fat are:
- Feeding a high-fat diet with a lack of nutrition.
- Lack of exercise.
Rather than feeding them sugary fruit and more fresh vegetables, Feed your guinea pig high-quality grass hay.
A raw vegetable is also good for your guinea pig, but excess can lead to fat. Sugary food should be avoided as they can also lead to fat.
Regularly doing exercise is very necessary for losing fat.
An overweight guinea pig can find it hard to run and play, so in this case, you should detect what your pet likes to do in the form of exercises like playing with some toys or any other stuff.
Once your guinea pig start losing weight they will be more interested in playing and exercise. They will regain their flexibility and will be able to clean their bottom as well.
What happens if I don’t clean my guinea pig’s bottom?
Guinea pig gets their fur around the bottom tangled due to the undigested cecotropes, which can be hazardous.
The uneaten cecotropes get stuck in their bottom, which affects the skin by becoming cracked and infected. Guinea pigs with diarrhea can also get fecal matter stuck in their back.
You can use the dry wash technique or wet wash process to wash your guinea pig bottom if it gets stuck by the feces.
While cleaning your guinea pig bottom, make sure that you don’t end up damaging your pet’s skin by washing it harshly.
Use antibacterial cream in case you find your guinea pig bottom infected. A dirty bum can lead to a painful and fatal condition called flystrike.
What is flystrike?
Flystrike is a condition in which flies lay their eggs around a guinea pig’s anus.
Later then eggs hatch into larvae, and when it gets mature, it eats away the surrounding flesh.
You should always make sure that your guinea pig bums are clean so they will not have to face such an issue.
Flystrike is a very dreadful disease as it can harm your guinea pig skin, and also, your guinea pig may suffer a lot of pain.
Flystrike occurs when your guinea pig has a dirty bum, so making sure to clean their bum regularly can save them from facing such painful disease.
Immediately getting your guinea pig to the vet should be the first step in detecting such an issue.
How is flystrike treated?
Flystrike can only be treated by a healthcare professional. If you detect such an issue, the very first thing you have to do is get your guinea pig to the vet as soon as possible.
Don’t try to clean your guinea pig bum on your own as it is a fatal condition. Only the professional hands will be helpful in that situation.
Your vet will remove the maggots using tweezers, and once the larvae are removed, a vet will prescribe painkillers and such medicines for the recovery.
How can flystrike be avoided?
Two most important and only way to keep your guinea pig safe from flystrike is
- Keeping their cage and bum clean
- Make sure that your guinea pig has a healthy digestive system by feeding your pet a high-quality diet.
You should check your pet regularly to make sure that your guinea pig bum is clean.
Periodically clean your guinea pig cage. Guinea pigs are very conscientious groomers, but sometimes for cleaning their bum, they need human involvement. So, make sure that you help your guinea pig clean their bottom.
In summer, the risk of getting affected by airstrikes increases, so getting your guinea pig bottom clean should be a significant concern in summers.
Conclusion:
From the above information, we now know that there are two ways to clean your guinea pigs bum:
- Dry wash technique
- Wet wash process.
Guinea pigs are very conscientious groomers, but they want human involvement sometimes to clean their bottom. The reason can be obesity, poor diet, and limited mobility.
You should clean your guinea pigs bottom regularly when they are not able to do so, as dirty bum can cause a very dreadful fatal condition called flystrike.
We have discussed how to clean the guinea pig bottom using two ways above in detail.
You can use the dry wash technique if your guinea pig bottom is a little dirty, but it cannot be applied when your guinea pig bottom is coated with wet or moistened fecal.
In case of damp and moistened fecal, you have to use a damp wash process. There are two things you have to take care of while using the wet wash process.
- Don’t use hot water as it can harm your guinea pigs skin
- Use a shampoo that is referred only for guinea pig rather than using human shampoo or the other pets’ ones.
Looking after your guinea pig’s proper diet is also very necessary as it can result in having a dirty bum. For a proper diet, you should include this in your guinea pigs diet chart.
- Feed your guinea pig high-quality grass hay as it contains the right amount of nutrients.
- Avoid sugary fruits. If given, then it should be like a treat.
- Moderately feed vegetables as it can upset your guinea pig stomach if fed in excess.
- Please don’t feed your guinea pig high-fat food as it can lead to obesity.
Following these points will help you to improve your guinea pig diet.
Sources: Petsaver guinea pig guide, Guinea pig care, GUINEA PIG GENERAL CARE GUIDE, The effects of lowering the bath temperature, Management of skin conditions in guinea pigs, Care of guinea pigs